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Today's News - Friday, November 15, 2013

48-year-old Dean Blough of Berlin died yesterday afternoon when his speeding car struck a school van then flipped over several times along Lambertsville Road near Shanksville in Somerset County. State police say Blough was first involved in another hit and run crash along Stutzmantown Road. Blough’s passenger, 49-year-old Georgiann Ruschak of Ohio was flown to Johnstown’s Memorial Medical Center with serious injuries. The other two drivers were not hurt.

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Saint Francis University’s board of trustees has chosen Rev. Malachi Van Tassell as the school’s new president. An official announcement will be made January 6. Rev. Van Tassell will begin his new position at the end of the 2014 academic year.

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32-year-old Duane Hay, of Meyersdale, was sentenced to serve 2 to 23 months in the Somerset County Jail Thursday for corrupting the morals of two underage girls. In February, one of the victims told police that Hay attempted top coerce her and another juvenile into having sex.

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After careful consideration, Richland Township supervisors are closer to creating a plan to control LED-lit digital signs and billboards. Officials believe the signs are distracting to passing motorists and can cause accidents. The plan would require signs to be no brighter than 7 percent of the typical billboard’s total brightness. Billboards could also not be placed in residential areas.

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The state Attorney General’s office is asking the State Supreme Court to deny Jerry Sandusky’s appeal. In a brief filed yesterday, a prosecutor said the defense team hasn’t presented any “special and important reasons” as to why the high court should hear the case. The Superior Court has already rejected Sandusky’s appeal.

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President Obama is saying he'll not walk away from 40 million Americans who don't have health insurance. Obama made the comment yesterday in Cleveland as he defended his efforts to reform the nation's healthcare system. Acknowledging a "fumbled" rollout of the latest phases of Obamacare, he vowed to fix the problems and fully implement the law.

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Relatives of some of Boston mobster James "Whitey" Bulger's murder victims say they are satisfied with his sentence. He's been sentenced to consecutive life in prison sentences plus five years. Tommy Donahue, the son of murdered Michael Donahue, says the sentencing brings him some closure.

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More than 4,000 people are reported dead after Typhoon Haiyan slammed the Philippines. Philippines government figures put the death toll at nearly 4,500, which is almost double the last official number reported.

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Fewer Americans are filing new claims for unemployment. The Labor Department says 339 thousand people filed first-time claims for unemployment benefits last week. That's 2,000 fewer than the previous week.

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The U.S. is keeping a pledge to help wipeout the multi-billion-dollar illicit global trade in wildlife. Yesterday, authorities crushed six tons of seized ivory from thousands of elephants slaughtered by poachers for their prized tusks. The work was done at a special storehouse in Colorado.

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Miami Dolphins lineman Richie Incognito is filing a grievance against the team over his indefinite suspension. ESPN reports Incognito has filed a non-football injury complaint against the team because the indefinite suspension is a violation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The maximum a club is allowed to suspend a player for detrimental conduct is four weeks plus an additional game check.

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A decision in Arizona to place a monthly fee on customers using solar panels could have a wide-ranging effect on the future of the solar power industry. The Arizona Corporation Commission approved a measure to charge a monthly fee on those using solar rooftop systems that was far below what was requested by Arizona Public Service. The fee of 70 cents per kilowatt would equal about $5 a month for the average solar household in Arizona.

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People excited to try out the new Playstation Four gaming console when it officially hits shelves Friday may find themselves disappointed. NBC News reports gamers who received PlayStation Fours earlier this week as part of a promotion are finding they aren't fully operational. Sony officials have said they are investigating the reports.

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The world's largest cartoon museum opens this weekend at Ohio State University in Columbus. The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum is home to millions of newspaper comic strips, books and cartoons dating back to 1798.

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Turkey producer Butterball is telling retailers there's a national shortage of their large, fresh turkeys for this year's holiday. The shortage only applies to the company's fresh, never-frozen whole turkeys weighing 16 pounds and up. Butterball says the problem is that turkeys on some of its company farms did not gain weight as quickly as in the past.

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Tonight's Mega Millions Lottery drawing is another chance at huge money for someone in our area. The estimated jackpot is $149 million with a cash option of $80 million.